What changes with opening of airport in Avlona
CORFU. By the summer of 2026, Corfu, Thesprotia, and Epirus will be part of a new aviation arc stretching to southern Albania, with increased accessibility, limited short-term effects, but important medium-term potential.
The summer of 2026 marks a quiet but substantial shift in the aviation and tourism landscape of northwestern Greece and the Adriatic. With the forthcoming opening of Vlora International Airport, Corfu, Thesprotia, Epirus, and southern Albania begin to form a single aviation arc, where access no longer necessarily passes through a single gateway. The Swiss carrier Chair Airline will be the first airline to operate flights to and from Vlora International Airport, starting on 26 June 2026 (twice weekly until 23 October 2026).
Corfu remains the strongest pole within this system. Ioannis Capodistrias Airport continues to handle one of the largest volumes of tourist traffic in the country, with a dense network of direct international flights and a deep presence in Central and Northern European markets. The island’s core tourism product is not under threat. Where some movement is emerging is in the small but existing flow of passengers who use Corfu as an intermediate gateway to Thesprotia and Albania.
Thesprotia, lacking its own airport, lies at the heart of this transition. Its geographical position makes it both a connecting link and an area directly affected by any redirection of flows toward direct arrivals in Albania. Whether it will function merely as a transit corridor or as an active component of a cross-border tourism product remains an open question.
Within the same arc, Aktion has already assumed a competitive role. By serving direct flights to Lefkada and western Central Greece, it has for years absorbed part of the demand that once passed exclusively through Corfu. Ioannina, on the other hand, does not compete in terms of volume, but it strengthens the autonomy of Epirus by reducing its dependence on CFU for basic travel needs.
On the opposite side, the Tirana–Vlora aviation axis is gaining decisive importance. Tirana has evolved into a strong regional low-cost hub (note: TIA has already reached scale, surpassing 10 million passengers in 2024), while Vlora is set to provide direct access to the southern Albanian coast, reducing travel time and cost. Ryanair has announced the establishment of a base in Tirana starting this April. Together, they form a credible alternative gateway for the wider region.
For the summer of 2026, losses for Corfu are expected to be limited in percentage terms, likely no more than one or two percent of total traffic. Their significance, however, is strategic. The Ionian region is transitioning from a single-gateway model to a polycentric system, where the challenge is not competition, but adaptation to a new geography of choices.
GIORGOS KATSAITIS
